yumemigaoka | !★! Happy Halloween!

[ooc: warning for hospitals, for dealing with the inability to feel pain.]

[Colette has figured to attend. It's a party, so it might be fun? And would be useful in getting to know everyone better as she settles in more here and all. She dresses up and attends, joining in on watching some of the movies, but definitely needing to leave or cover her eyes when scarier moments come up, or always being caught out with jump scares. So she might accidentally drop or spill some of the snacks in the process, which is of course accompanied by vigorous apologies if it gets on someone else, on their costume.

Colette will also head to the haunted house, figuring the others were having a look and it might not be so bad with others around? Maybe it wouldn't seem that scary? Except. Well, it sort of is. Given her fear of failure. Her fear of letting others down, her fear of them finding out about her health issues, everyone treating her differently. It's different here, where nobody knows her and her situation, really. Back home everyone had, in the village. So the room might show an image of her clearly injured in hospital but trying to reassure the staff, the doctors and nurses that she is fine. That she doesn't feel any pain from it. That she was okay and it wasn't that big a deal. The doctors don't seem to agree, but they do their best in treating her and dealing with her injury even as Colette apologizes for the fuss. That the image then shows everyone she had met in the city thus far seeing either through the window of the hospital room or from coming to visit after hearing she was in hospital. Seeing them at the door of the hospital room.

Colette shakes her head, stepping backwards as her hands raise to her face, stumbling as she steps backwards against the wall.]

[For obvious reasons Maki won't be in the Dream Sphere, but she does show up for the DU office party. She pops in with a wave, the only deviation from her standard work clothes being a store-bought cat ear headband and tail. Sorry she wasn't more creative.

Setting up with the other employees, though, she will get into, hanging up fake spider webs and setting plastic pumpkins on the ends of the tables.]

Did you guys get to papering the doors yet? Are we still going with a mummy for the elevator?

[At the food tables, Maki stands by waiting for people to ooh and ahh at the food, but after long enough she just steps in and starts piling some onto her plate.]

That's the downside of these things. The spider crab's cute and all, but then they all start thinking they don't wanna be the first one to ruin it by eating any.

[She can also be found supervising the games, checking on the piñata and making sure no one is spiking the drinks at the juice pong table. Hey, they're at work, no beer allowed.]

[Not one to miss out on such things, Misfire makes an appearance at the DU office party dressed as....an eagle? With an American flag tied around his waist? At least some care and effort has gone into painting on the abs.

He joins in the festivities in playing beer pong...badly. We're talking knocking over cups, scoring against himself, and edging ever closer to causing an accident. When he has a go at the pinata, however? Something about being blindfolded and muttering to himself has him landing deadly blows to that thing...but someone should probably pull him away from it. He's in a Zone.

For the Dream Sphere party, he changes things up a bit. No longer held back by things like a "budget" he's free to let his imagination run wild and come up with anything, so he...

...he's just going to use his Dreamer costume to pass as a pilot.

He's mostly here to hang out and get dream-drunk, but he of course tries the food as well, holding up a candy-corncob for inspection.]

I get the theme is cursed, but this is, like, cursed-cursed.

[He also pays a trip to the haunted house, which shows him...just a bunch of mirrors?]

What's this meant to be, the mortifying ordeal of being known?

[Pssh.]

DU Office Party

[After perusing the selection of costumes at the local Donki superstore and immedidately rejecting 80% of them for being too sexy (why were there "sexy potato" and "sexy pokemon" costumes? just why?), Shinsha finally settled on something basic: a witch costume, complete with black cape and oversized black hat. It's surprisingly comfortable... as much as they hate parties, they could definitely get used to this look.

They gravitate towards the spicy snacks, but grab a mummy onigiri as well. It's cute, and the pickled plum filling is a welcome relief from all of the sweets.]

...As far as mandatory work-related socializing goes, this isn't terrible.

[The party isn't technically mandatory, but Ai would be disappointed if they skipped out... and Amane, too, probably.]

Dream Sphere Party

[Cinnabar's cheap polyester witch costume gets a significant upgrade in the Dream Sphere - now they're wrapped in a voluminous cape of black wool, and the underside of their pointed hat glows blue-green with phosporescence. Glass vials filled with glowing potions dangle from their belt alongside leather pouches and dried plants. Their broom actually flies, so they're able gently glide through the party... which has the side effect of keeping most of their floating mercury blobs safely above the heads of other Dreamers.

They spent a few moments excitedly digging through the franken-fruit salad in search of stray seeds to plant back home, before belatedly remembering that they can't take anything back to the real world.

Cinnabar skips over most of the games (apple bobbing looks fun, but they'd only poison the water for everyone else) but the pumpkin carving is well suited to their skills. Liquid mercury can't cut pumpkin flesh, but it can form tentacles to hold the pumpkin still while other tentacles grasp carving tools. Cinnabar themself sits safely out of the fire-breathing pumpkin's range while a dozen extra pairs of silvery hands carve it into a disturbingly realistic monster.

Werewolves and vampires are the stuff of bad YA romance fiction and ghosts only remind them of a certain irritating someone, so the haunted house fails to elicit any shrieks from Cinnabar... until they come to the spooky pumpkin patch. They're completely unconcerned by the chainsaw-wielding maniac who's coming to chase them through the corn fields - instead they're trembling at the site of tiny caterpillars munching happily on the pumpkin vines.]

At this rate, they'll devour the whole crop... and if I use pesticides, I won't be able to get an organic farming certification... this is horrible...

DU Office Party

[Hell was probably freezing over, because this was the second DU party Amane has attended in the span of a month... although this time, at least, he has a pretty good disguise in place to avoid any immediate attention. Of course, those who've been around Moon Bunny Market or Camellia in the past month would probably recognize that cursed gauzy ghost costume at a glance, but he's worked too hard on it not to reuse it for this...!

But with Amane's tendency to wallflower, his general lack of presence, plus the spooky decorations, he winds up blending into the scenery, looking completely at home among the skeletons and fake cobwebs-- that is, until he moves to eat some candy or one of the other snacks he wound up coveting from the catering table. O-Oops? Hope nobody thinks he's an actual prop and gets jumpscared in the process--

After a while, though, once he gets tired of lingering around and watching the antics (and accidentally terrifying people--), Amane retires to the spooky movie room, armed with more food and as much candy his webby robe can comfortably carry. Anyone wandering into the room might spot him with his veil pushed over his head, watching a particular 80's favorite with rapt attention while munching on an oddly apropos crab leg.]

Whoa... so you can really do all that with possession, huh...?

[... someone nip this in the bud before he decides to recreate Beetlejuice in the Dream Sphere--]

Dream Sphere Party

((cw for multiple eyeballs in the second donut link))

[One would think being a ghost-themed Dreamer would have him lean towards a more spectre-y costume in the Dream Sphere as well, to stay on brand, but he's going for something a little more devilish instead, complete with functional wings and a surprisingly mobile tail. It's almost entirely on the nose, then, when he looms over any other underage Dreamer who's on the outskirts of the plaza, the cheerful smile laced with mischief upon his face only adding to the ensemble.]

Soooo... you wanna check out what the grown-ups are doing over there? Kinda unfair that they get the cool stuff and we don't, right?

[Is Hanako anywhere near old enough to attend a 21+ Dreamer after-party? No. Is he still going to sneak in anyway and drag others with him because he can? ABSOLUTELY.

Once he's actually managed to evade whatever guards or security has been set up to keep the youngins out (thank you, intangibility!!) he's going to lurk around and explore... but not before filching some food from the tables to bring back to whatever Dreamers might still be waiting outside or haven't found the gumption to go crash the party.]

Hey, hey, look what I found inside...!!

[Along with the other spooky, fantastical snacks from the buffet, there's a few incredibly cursed looking donuts on one of the plates, and it seems like the decorations aren't just for show. He leans in, a sly smile upon his face, the mischief only heightened by the flash of sharp devil fangs.]

Y'wanna try ooooone?

[Seriously... is one of those things hissing? Did that other one just blink?? Where the hell did he even dig these up??

When Hanako's not brazenly sneaking into the adult's party to steal their food or pushing creepy donuts onto people, he's going to be checking out the haunted house, which... admittedly is something he starts to regret part way through. One would think being a Dreamer who thrived on spooking others would be less jittery about sudden jumpscares or weird noises, but he jolts and trembles all the same, clutching his Sandglass knife close to his chest. If worse comes to worse, if these were Torments or some other Dreamer creature, he could always just stab them and get it over with--

But it seems the dream magic in control of the haunt wasn't content with just that, though, and suddenly a large CRACK resounds through the air, followed by a quaking round of thunder.]

GYAAAAAAA!!!

[Hope whoever's in here doesn't mind being immediately jumped and latched onto by an incredibly terrified demon cat boy, his devil tail standing straight up in fright only selling the image further.]

Edited 2023-10-24 04:06 (UTC)

Day Party

Okay HR how about this? Kozakura is a dedicated social media sharer of the 'boring mundane costumes' trend that's been popular in Japan for a few years, and it was really easy to do one herself. Her home is already full of empty Amazon boxes, her hair is usually messy when she's at home - her usual oversized shirt dangles off one shoulder, although she at least pulled some pajama pants on over the tiny shorts she tends to lounge around in.

Bam. 'Someone who was woken up by their Amazon delivery' costume with almost no effort actually put into it, and she probably looks less approachable than most people here to boot.

...time to go take a whack at the pinata just to say she tried.

Adults Only

Hopefully everyone here recognizes Kozakura well enough to, at least, realize that the party hasn't been infiltrated by a twelve year old. She's not even wearing a modern costume - it's a form-fitting pilot suit from early 2000s mecha anime Heavy Metal Combat. Sure she's not normally one to cosplay, but when you can just dream it up - when she can even dream up wearing her hair short - she might as well have the smallest hint of fun.

Frankly, though, she's mostly here for the opportunity to 'drink' at the office, with the added bonus of no real physical repercussions. "Next time I really need to try a sip of something expensive, so I can imagine a whole bottle at the party, you know?"

DU Office

[ Ai's obviously no stranger to parties – not when she's worked at the DU for so long and when she's had to attend so many afterparties for this or that concert or TV drama or whatever other achievement needs celebrating. She doesn't necessarily mind them, but when you're surrounded by people you work with every day, it's a little hard to not feel like it's just an extension of your day job.

This party's a little different, though. With everyone's goofy-ass costumes and the office so thoroughly decorated, it's a little bit easier to turn off her work brain. And of course, Ai's remembered to dress up as well. ]

It's Dreamer Swan!

[ Somehow, it's very Ai of her to end up dressing as her own Mentor for Halloween, huh...............

She seems to be having a good enough time, though – she gives eyeball pong a try (and fails pretty miserably but has fun) and gives the pinata a few hearty whacks but for the most part, you'll find her hovering around the food table. Not wallflowering exactly, but... let's call it conserving her energy for the other party later. ]

Dream Sphere

[ Now this is the party she's been looking forward to.

The thing about the Waking World is that even in a place as supposedly safe as the Dreamer Union, a person like Ai can't really let her hair down so long as there's cameras and watching eyes everywhere. Over in the Dream Sphere where there's just other Dreamers and no way of snapping images that last forever, so she can afford to have a bit of fun.

Which means that when Ai turns up at the second half of their little Halloween get together, she looks distinctly... different. Jesus, girl. If she catches anyone very understandably staring, she'll give them a grin. ]

[ Wink! ]

[ a throwback........ sure......... let's go with that...............

She seems a lot more genuinely relaxed on this side, at least... probably assisted by the strawberry cocktails she's been making her way through as the evening goes by. She's smart enough to not get drunk drunk, but she's definitely a little buzzed.

She gives the pumpkin carving a try and gets stuck with a pumpkin that boogies out of her way every time she tries cutting into it and gets thoroughly soaked bobbing for apples, at which she turns out to be surprisingly good??? It's gotta be the fangies.

Later in the evening, though, you mind find Ai checking out the haunted house floor. For the most part, her scares are pretty mundane... dark, foggy streets, creepy strangers lurking at the corner of your vision, that sort of thing. But on one pass of the floor, it reforms itself as the backstage area of a concert with music and lights pounding. There's a gap in the stage curtains you can peek through and spot two people on the stage, performing their hearts out. From behind, you can't really make out anything but the fact that one is a boy and the other is a girl, both with the exact same shade of blonde hair...

But then before you can look any closer, Ai all but leaps forward to yank the curtains closed with a nervous laugh. ]

Yumemigaoka - Dreamer's Union

The event starts at noon but Keiwa shows up a late and without a costume. After the first couple of disappointed looks from the HR department, Keiwa stops making eye contact, apologizing quietly to staff he encounters along the way for not participating in the spirit of it. Maybe he ought to have found something cheap to wear after all... He can be found around the Union building, admiring the decorations, trying to look inconspicuous and playing the games. His attempts at beer pong are surprisingly good; his aim is solid and he's not wildly overshooting the cups (though he startles every once in a while when he picks up an eyeball such that it's looking right at him). Sometimes he's wearing a simple costume headband and sometimes he's seen wearing weird gimmick sunglasses... Maybe Keiwa had the 'costume' foisted upon him. Ah well.

Dream Sphere -

Tycoon is cautiously eying the food table, looking concerned about the sort of food that’s on display... Except that the way his tail sways behind him gives away his interest. Tail? Yup, it seems that he’s just here in his usual Dreamer getup. What a killjoy. After a little while, he ends up with a bowl of stew, though he looks like he’s enjoying watching it change colour more than eating it.

Eventually, he feels self conscious enough to pop into the dressing room to try on different outfits. Some of the outfits seem rather random; a blue pinstripe suit with an open collar and gold chain that evokes the image of a Yakuza, a black armour with a cape and bat motif, a black and white armour with a crow motif and... different kigurumi? Tycoon seems to be having fun trying them out, enough that he doesn't notice that anyone might be watching him doing poses while dressed up. Or just doing silly poses in general.

All in the name of fun, right?

Speaking of fun... The haunted house walk is surprisingly disappointing. There's nothing there, no zombies, no yokai... Not a single soul. Were he following trends, he might have called it a 'liminal space in the shape of a haunted house' like the cool kids do. As it is, Tycoon stands there, confused and a little lost before calling out a timid: "Hello...?"

It's not particularly scary, but does seem a little lonely. He doesn't get it. He doesn't particularly like it either, and speeds up to get through the empty surroundings as soon as possible.

DU Party

a(CW for weird meat feet link)

[Sam eyes the food table with some trepidation. She's been wandering around and checking out the goings-on, and she's festive enough in the cha-cha dancer outfit she has on. She's even darkened her hair a bit with colored hairspray to heighten the effect--but she's still got her usual piercings in, so she's somewhat recognizable.

Right now, she's staring at a particular dish that ought to make her feel at home--normally it would. But it's the fact that it's presented in a very specific way that has her making faces at the very idea. Sure, it fits in the theme. Sure, it's probably not the weirdest thing on the table, and yet...]

I gotta question whoever came up with this idea. I mean, it might taste okay, but...Feet loaf? Seriously??

[Yep, more than a hint of outrage, there. No one said you had to use that miniature hand saw and help yourself to it, Sam...]

b

[It's to be expected that Sam would be out on the dance floor, busting a move. When did she learn to dance in heels? The answer is a mystery, but she's apparently coordinated enough to do it. Once a song that's more upbeat and peppy comes on, she's out there doing her thing, stomping from side to side and fluttering a hand down her body from her face to her waist. She really has no problem approaching wallflowers in an attempt to get them to come out, too...]

Come on, it's a party, this is supposed to be fun!

{But Sam, not everyone has the same idea of fun as you do...]

Dream Sphere party

a

[Sam...probably did not think this through as well as she could have. Sure, she's got a pair of weapons--although her knight costume's sword probably won't cut it. No pun actually intended; so it's her sandglass battleaxe that she's wielding now. She's not sure exactly how much carving she'll manage, but hey. Maybe she can piece something together in ten minutes' time and call it abstract art? It's great sparring practice, even if she doesn't win, so she's all for it!]

I'm not a marshmallow to roast! But I appreciate your attempts at a sick burn!

[Sam. Sam please.]

b

[Sam...would have preferred to be alone. At first, when she'd stepped onto the haunted house floor, she hadn't thought much of it. But then the fog started to roll in--it was a haunted house, so she'd expected something like that--it was like one of your typical American haunted houses, so no big deal. A certain scent permeated the air, though, and it set the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. There wasn't any heat that she could feel. No flames that she could see, yet. The smell of fire was unmistakable, however--so was that fog, or was that actually smoke?

There's a small part of her that panics, slightly, but she stuffs it down. Keeps walking.

She thinks she sees someone up ahead--maybe more than one person? She can't tell from here, so Sam picks up her pace to a jog so that she can catch up, warn them.]

Hey, do you smell that? It's not safe--there's a fire somewhere, we ought to evacuate, probably...

[It's then that the figure turns, more "people" coming from the smoke to crowd around her. The first figure--none of the figures--have faces, per se--it's mostly empty space, save for an angry mouth that opens as their hands ball into fists. Sam can't help but take a step back, looking shocked. She bumps into one of them, and it tries to grab her, but she ducks and turns and manages to break free. What she can't break free from is the jeers that these mouthy maniacs start to scream...]

FAKE! [One of them starts with that. Another one agrees with a shout of "Yeah!" Another one, dressed in an Amon Amarth shirt, breaks out with...] POSER! What kind of a hero are you? You're not, you're just a joke!

[Sam shakes her head at that, eyes widening in true fear, before she turns to run--anywhere. Anywhere but here.]

I'm not! I'm not!

Colette Brunel l Tales of Symphonia

DU party